A great, great Hermitage from Dard et Ribo

1997 Hermitage Rouge, Dard et Ribo

(Drunk on my wedding anniversary at the Engineer)

Cloudy blue-red colour, phenomenal nose of smoked blueberries, blackcurrant, kalamata olives, roast bay, rosemary and balsam. Mouthfilling flavours of tapenade, garrigue herbs and dark forest fruits supplemented by sweet woodsmoke and soy as well as an incredible savouriness reminiscent of sweetcure bacon, finishing on a note of raspberry vinegar. There are some wonderful tertiary aromas of humus, warm leather and grilled mushrooms, but the wine is still vibrant and fighting fresh. I can’t remember when I last drunk a wine in which conversation halted in stunned appreciation, wherein every mouthful was rolled around the palate meditatively, and where, as the bottle slowly emptied, happiness and regret comingled, the former infused by constant discovery, the latter spawned by the knowledge that the wine would soon only live on in memory and via the frailties of (imprecise) language.

I don’t dole out points, but if I had to, this wine would have to score about 98-99 as, like any truly hedonistic wine, it managed to engage my head and my heart, stimulating all my senses simultaneously and neutralising my desire for judgement.